Anthropometric profiles are associated with long-term career attainment in elite junior rowers: A retrospective analysis covering 23 years

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Successful rowers are heavier and taller than their opponents, but the effect of these variables on long-term career attainment in juniors has not been examined. We therefore analysed this in a large sample of elite German junior rowers. Methods: Former German Junior National Team rowers (N = 910; 399 females) were grouped according to their highest career attainment, i.e., participation in U19-, U23-, Senior World Championships or Olympic Games (OG). Differences in standing height (SH), body mass (BM) and body mass index (BMI) between groups were analysed using unpaired t-tests and magnitude-based inferences (MBI), effects of anthropometrics on career attainment were analysed with a proportional odds model. Interquartile ranges of the OG group were used to define normative data ranges. Results: SH and BMI very likely differed between career attainment in females. The same was found in males for SH and BM. BM (odds ratio (OR) = 0.958, P = .0171) and BMI (OR = 0.787, P = .0004) had a significant effect on career attainment in females as SH (OR = 1.072, P = .0002) and BM (OR = 1.049, P = .0004) had in males. Interquartile ranges of SH and BM were 178–184 cm and 68–73 kg in females, 190–196 cm and 84–93 kg in males. Conclusion: Anthropometric characteristics at junior age affect long-term career attainment even within elite U19 National Team rowers, underlining the relevance of anthropometric assessments and their consideration for talent identification and development programmes in rowing. We provide evidence-based normative data that rule out an anthropometric limitation of junior rowers for career progression to Olympic level. 

Keywords:

• Talent
• prediction
• youth
• assessment
• competition

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge the contribution of our former colleague Dr Werner Lormes^† from 1991 to 2004 to the project. Furthermore, we highly appreciate the full support and collaboration of the German Rowing Federation especially the Junior Head Coaches Dr Dieter Altenburg and Mrs. Brigitte Bielig. The statistical advice of Dr Will Hopkins is gratefully acknowledged.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Supplemental data

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed here (http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17461391.2018.1497089).